


The Clothes Make the Woman

by bookoftheazuresky



Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:36:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7162667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookoftheazuresky/pseuds/bookoftheazuresky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>White breathed, trying to draw calm into her lungs along with the air. This was it. Everything depended on defeating N. All the Pokemon and the Trainers who loved them were counting on her to prevent Team Plasma from succeeding in creating a world where they couldn't be together. Even without Reshiram, she had to move forward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Clothes Make the Woman

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt on the Pokemon kink meme a looong time ago. Thanks to the usual suspects for the beta.

White breathed, trying to draw calm into her lungs along with the air. This was it. Everything depended on defeating N. All the Pokemon and the Trainers who loved them were counting on her to prevent Team Plasma from succeeding in creating a world where they couldn't be together. Even without Reshiram, she had to move forward.

 

Alder looked like he had aged decades since she'd last seen him at Relic Castle. “I'm sorry to place all this responsibility on your shoulders. If only I had been able to defeat Zekrom...” He ran a calloused hand through his fiery hair. “But the only person that N has acknowledged is you.”

 

White nodded, hiding the dread that bloomed like a Liligant's flower in her stomach. “I'm the only one who can stop him,” she managed. Even if he did have the legendary dragon on his side. Even if he had beaten Unova's Champion without breaking a sweat. Even if Team Plasma had managed to take over the League without any trouble whatsoever.

 

The Champion gave her a tired shadow of his usual robust smile. “Are you prepared? After battling the rest of the Elite Four, you must be running low on healing supplies.”

 

White sighed. It felt like her battle to reach the Champion had taken place in some far past. The blend of exultation and adrenaline that had filled her veins and buoyed her through the rapid-fire battles had guttered, leaving her feeling vulnerable and achy.

 

“I'll head back to the Pokemon Center for right now. I need...” she trailed off.

 

Alder nodded. “You should take some time to consider the strategy you wish to use in your upcoming battle.”

 

Avoiding the chunks of rock scattered across the floor, White took one long look at the ramp leading up into Team Plasma's castle before heading out.

 

~

 

The Pokemon Center had experienced the incursion of Team Plasma as surely as the rest of the League. The Plasma member standing guard flicked his gaze over to her before widening in recognition. He inclined his hooded head and stepped back to allow her to approach the counter. White unfastened her belt and placed it and the attached Pokeballs down in front of the nurse.

 

She leaned forward and asked in a low voice, “Are you alright?”

 

The nurse gave her a reassuring smile. “Don't worry. No one's been hurt.” She picked up the Pokeballs in her small hands. “Do you need anything else? This may take a few moments.”

 

She needed...“May I borrow one of the back rooms? I need to clean up a little.”

 

The nurse nodded. “Certainly. The door is over there.” She indicated the far wall.

 

White nodded and pushed the door open.

 

~

 

Rock dust covered every inch of her in a fine layer of white. As her clothes rubbed over her skin, they left scratches in their wake, red and inflamed. Pulling off her shoes and socks scattered the tiny stone fragments onto the tiled floor. She peeled off the upper layer of her clothes, dumping them into a pile. Standing in her bra and underwear, White began to rinse the mess off her extremities, using the bathroom sink and paper towels to wipe away the worst of the dirt. Chips of rock scattered on the tiles pricked at her feet as she untied her hair, and pulled her brush out of her bag to or coax the mess out.

 

Cleaning herself up provided the chance to think about nothing and to regain her equilibrium. She kept her mind off the battle that she would have to face and focused on the simple task of making herself presentable. She glanced down at the forlorn pile of cloth that was her usual outfit, then began digging in her bag. Her mom had urged her to take it, even though she hadn't seen any need for it, but it was in there...The dress was still in the plastic bag her mom had packed it in. She smiled wryly. Her mother had the weirdest ideas, but sometimes there was a method to her madness. It would be hard to feel insignificant while wearing this.

 

She pulled the thin fabric over her head, feeling the satiny off-white underdress settle against her skin. She brushed down the gauzy overlayer, laying it out properly, softening the slim lines of the dress. After she fastened the straps around her neck, White ran her hands through her waist-length hair, to free it of all the catches. She pulled it into a low ponytail to keep it out of her face. Examining herself in the mirror brought a smile to her face. She felt the beginnings of the excitement that always came before battle kindle like a Litwick's flame in her chest. She was ready.

 

~

 

Walking back into the main room felt...good. White straightened her spine, feeling more elegant than she had ever felt before. The expression on the Plasma grunt’s face as he stared was hugely gratifying. She strode over to the main counter, accepting the impressed look of the nurse along with her Pokeballs.

 

“Good luck,” the nurse murmured to her.

 

White strode out without looking back. The path up to Plasma's castle, N's castle, was marked by the increase of her heartbeat as surely as it was by the ramp. Exultation carried her up and into the front gate.

 

Once there, she was gladder than ever that she had changed. The castle was all marble floors and crystal chandeliers, another world from the dark skies outside. She didn't feel out of place, but as if she had stepped onto stage and knew what she needed to do, what part she had to play. Everything had come together.

 

Before her were the Sages, solemn in their robes. White moved to stand in front of them, loosely clasping a Pokeball in her hand. She saw in their faces what she hadn't seen any of the other times she had confronted Plasma. Respect. She had proved herself worthy of their king's time before, but now she really looked like the confident woman she was, rather than the teenaged Trainer they had thought she'd be.

 

“Now,” she said, savoring the moment, “Who wants to go first?”


End file.
